Thousands in Connecticut without power, some schools closed after rainy nor’easter

Published 6:54 am, Tuesday, January 24, 2017

Photo: Wes Duplantier — New Haven Register

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Part of Middletown Avenue in New Haven was shut down Tuesday morning because the road had flooded. The road reopened to traffic a short time later. The National Weather Service said minor flooding was possible in and around the Elm City amid heavy rains. less

Part of Middletown Avenue in New Haven was shut down Tuesday morning because the road had flooded. The road reopened to traffic a short time later. The National Weather Service said minor flooding was possible ... more

Photo: Wes Duplantier — New Haven Register

Image 2 of 2

Part of Middletown Avenue in New Haven was shut down Tuesday morning because the road had flooded. The road reopened to traffic a short time later. The National Weather Service said minor flooding was possible in and around the Elm City amid heavy rains. less

Part of Middletown Avenue in New Haven was shut down Tuesday morning because the road had flooded. The road reopened to traffic a short time later. The National Weather Service said minor flooding was possible ... more

Photo: Wes Duplantier — New Haven Register

Thousands in Connecticut without power, some schools closed after rainy nor’easter

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NEW HAVEN >> Thousands of people across Connecticut were waking up in the dark Tuesday morning after blustery winds and heavy rains pounded the state.

In the New Haven area and Middlesex County, the National Weather Service has issued coastal flood statements, warning that some minor flooding is expected with morning tide cycle. The agency says waterfront and Shoreline roads are most at risk.

Among the roads blocked by high water Monday morning was a section of Middletown Avenue in New Haven near the city school bus yard. Police were blocking that street between Front Street and Dump Road, near the Exit 8 interchange, at about 9:15 a.m.

The road reopened a short time later but signs remained warning drivers to be careful because of water over the road.

United Illuminating was reporting more than 100 outages across its service area at about 8:30 a.m.

UI spokesman said about 700 customers lost power overnight Monday and early Tuesday but by Tuesday morning almost all of those people had their power back. The company was reporting 65 outages, most of them in Fairfield County.

Early Tuesday, Eversource had been reporting nearly 8,000 outages across Connecticut. By 10:45 a.m., that number was down to less than 6,000 including

136 in Litchfield, 133 in Killingworth, 117 in Madison, 106 in East Haddam and 104 in New Milford.

Eversource and UI are warning people to stay away from any power lines brought down by the storm, as they could still be live and very dangerous. Instead of approaching the wires, people should call the utility companies or 9-1-1.

“You just never know, so just stay clear and call for help,” Eversource spokesman Frank Poirot said in an interview Monday as the storm approached.

Do you have photos or video of storm damage in your neighborhood? Send it to us and we might feature you in our coverage! Send an email to tips@newhavenregister.com or tweet @breaking203; be sure to include your name, hometown and the location where you saw the damage.

In Litchfield County, the National Weather Service has issued a winter weather advisory in effect until 7 p.m. Tuesday. The agency says it expects up to an inch of freezing rain, sleet and ice to fall across the area amid blustery winds, making travel hazardous.

Several crashes were reported on roads across the state early Tuesday, including a tractor-trailer that crashed down an embankment at about 6 a.m. on Interstate 91 northbound near Exit 20 in Middletown. The state Department of Transportation said the crash will likely cause lane closures in the area throughout Tuesday morning.

“Trees, limbs and power lines may be down,” Connecticut State Police spokeswoman Trooper First Class Kelly Grant said in an email early Tuesday. “Roads may be closed because of this.”

Grant said troopers responded to 96 crashes and assisted an additional 75 motorists between 8 p.m. Monday and 6 a.m. Tuesday. She said drivers should be sure to clear snow and ice off their vehicles before hitting the road Tuesday, otherwise they could face hefty fines.

You can track delays and plan your commute in the New Haven area with our live traffic map for that region. To track delays from that Middletown crash, click here.

More than 300 school districts across Connecticut were either starting late or closed for the day as the rainy and slushy nor’easter moved out of the state. A full list from WTNH-TV is available. Included on the list are: